Combo organ
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
A combo organ, so-named and classified by popular culture due to its original intended use by small, touring
A combo organ could best be defined as "a portable electric organ designed to be used by a musical combo".
Details
A combo organ is an electronic portable organ, usually transistorized (although some older designs used tubes; and later models, integrated circuits), that was designed for use on stage, usually in the context of a band or group. A combo organ is usually supported on a removable or folding stand or legs;[1] these originally would have been supplied as part of the instrument. Combo organs were best known for their bright, reedy sound; their portability; surprising versatility; and relatively low cost. Most such instruments have no built-in amplification.
A typical combo organ has one manual (
Soundwise, combo organs are very similar to each other, although there are definite discernible tonal characteristics that differ between models that might be considered "default" for each model. For instance, the
To collectors, players and enthusiasts, the visual aesthetic is often as important as the sound. Originally, the instruments were often available in bright and unusual colors (orange, blue, bright red, green) with showy chrome legs, multi-colored stop-tabs, and reverse-colored or gray-and-white keys. Towards the mid-1970s, combo organs began to take on a more muted appearance, with woodgrain or black covering and conventional keyboard colors. Many combo organs were produced in such countries as Italy or Japan, yet some more common models used by major acts were manufactured in the United Kingdom or the United States. Organs that are intended to emulate the sound and characteristics of a Hammond organ are not generally regarded as combo organs; see clonewheel organ.
-- They have been sold to the public from 1946 to present, beginning in Germany with Jorgensen Electronics then gradually spreading worldwide by the 1960s. Kinds of tone generation have included tube or transistor analog oscillators & dividers, mechanoelectrical sources such as a few Hammond tonewheel combo models in 1969 & a Noble amplified reed combo organ in 1966, with fully digital beginning in 1974 and since becoming the predominant type. They have been made with one to three keyboards. Sounds, styles, and features vary greatly.
Models
Well-known combo organs include:
- Vox Continental (UK, USA, Italy)
- Vox Jaguar(Italy)
- Philicorda by Philips (Netherlands)
- Farfisa Combo Compact series (Italy)
- Farfisa Professional, VIP and FAST series (Italy)
- Yamaha A3 and YC series (Japan)
- Doric Organ (Italy)
- Ace Tone "TOP" series (Japan)
- Gibson G-101 (USA)
- Fender Contempo (USA)
Popularity
The combo organ's greatest popularity was during the 1960s, when it was featured on hits by The Doors, The Animals, Iron Butterfly, Manfred Mann, Them, Strawberry Alarm Clock, and many others and it was the main instrument of Pink Floyd's Richard Wright, from 1966 to 1973. Although the instrument fell from favor during the 1970s, there was a resurgence about 1977 when new wave artists such as Blondie, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads and XTC used them. More recently, vintage combo organs have been used by The Horrors, Stereolab, Pulp, Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Combo Organ Classic: The Vox Continental". reverb.com. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
External links
- Combo Organ Heaven Site about combo organ manufacturers and models
- Combo Organ Nation Forum for combo organ owners
- Combo Organ Group Mailing group and information repository